Liberal Democrats say that Labour run York Council should follow the example of Essex and introduce an amnesty for drivers fined for breaking controversial traffic restrictions.

Earlier this month Essex County Council said that 30,000 drivers penalised for using a new bus lane in Colchester will be repaid or have their fines cancelled after the council agreed its signs were unclear. Fines, amounting to about £1m have been paid to the council, will now be handed back and any outstanding charges will be cancelled.

In York, over 40,000 fines have so far been issued to drivers crossing Lendal Bridge after Labour run City of York Council partially closed it to traffic at the end of August. The council has been inundated with complaints about the closure, particularly regarding the poor signage. Indeed, at the beginning of December the council was forced to install new warning signs. It is thought that the authority is now routinely not contesting appeals against fines; however, thousands of motorists are believed to have already paid.

Cllr Keith Aspden, Liberal Democrat Group Leader on City of York Council, commented:

“Essex County Council listened to residents and took the sensible decision to waive the fines in Colchester after drivers said traffic signs were unclear. I am asking Labour run York Council to now consider a similar step.

“Since the Lendal Bridge closure began at the end of August I have been inundated with e-mails and letters from people who didn’t see or understand the unclear signs and inadvertently broke the restrictions.

“The council did not put up proper signs when the closure started. They went some way to admitting this by installing new signs at the beginning of December; however, the fines and complaints have continued.

“So far over 40,000 people have been caught out, city-centre trade has been damaged, congestion in other parts of the city has increased, and untold damage has been done to York’s reputation.

“It is now time for Labour to begin the process of reversing this harm by listening to residents, admitting they got it wrong, and following the example of another council which made similar mistakes.”

NB A report on the decision taken by Essex County Council can be found here: